the European Commission “Budget Review” including the proposals of: a) a programme for 2020 economic reforms (increase the employment rate; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; reduce early-school leavers; lift at least 20 m people out of poverty); b) issuing “EU project bonds” to finance infrastructure in energy, transport and ICT; c) finding new own resources, in order to deliver more European public goods;

regrets

nevertheless, that the European Commission considers the size of the present budget a taboo, instead of pointing to its insufficiency;

disapproves

the contradictory behaviour of some national governments, which refuse to increase the EU budget and, at the same time, refuse to provide the EU with real own resources;

taking note

that during the present economic crisis national governments are facing great difficulties to reduce their expenses and to balance their budget;

supports

the proposals of the Chairman of the Committee on Budget of the European Parliament: a) that considerable savings can be obtained substituting some expenses in national budgets – such as scientific research, aid to development, diplomatic services and defence – with European common policies, financed by the EU budget; b) that the EU budget be included in the spring “European semester” side-by-side with national budgets, in order to allow national parliaments and the European parliament to express a comprehensive judgement on the expenses to be charged to national budgets and to the EU budget;

asks the European Parliament

to open a debate with national parliaments and the European citizens on the future of the European fiscal policy – exploiting, the all the new powers of the Lisbon Treaty– because a reform concerning the citizens should involve the citizens or their representatives: no taxation without representation.